Therapy

Ever wonder why all the great comedians have therapy issues? They either talk about being in therapy, have therapy jokes, mention something their therapist said, or just exhibit a fondness for couches. Maybe they are more messed up than most people. Maybe they just want someone to try their jokes out on.
Why is it people go to therapist anyway? Do we really feel like we are somehow better by telling complete strangers our problems? It's like we take our baggage to them and say,"Would you mind carrying this for me?My arms are tired." What drives people to be a therapist? I am sure it is some misguided desire to help people, or maybe they wrongly think they can make a difference in peoples lives. Other then that, and undergoing a boatload of boring college lectures that one day produces a little piece of paper for their wall, what really qualifies someone to be a good therapist? Extreme patience when presented with the monotonous? The ability to undergo hours of incessant whining? A natural tendency to tell other people what is wrong with their lives, without offering any real solutions to fix them? hmm.....I know several people who fit that bill......Maybe it's the love of hearing how messed up other people are as a way of feeling good about one's self.
I personally think a good therapist should have big ears. Mainly for two reasons: 1) a la big bad wolf..."The better to hear you with my dear", and 2)It would give you something amusing to stare at while talking to them.
Having worked in a Psych office, and knowing several therapists, I found out a little secret. Most therapists have their OWN therapist. What's with that?!?! Are they as screwed up as everybody else? If so, are they really qualified to be hearing our problems? Maybe they are screwed up FROM hearing our problems. Maybe we are just contributing to their problem by unloading ours? Maybe it's really our fault they are so screwed up....... Man, they should really see somebody!
Think about this....We take our baggage to them....They take our baggage to their therapist.....who takes it to their therapist...on and on and on....until it gets to a therapist who maybe doesn't have their own, so they take it out on their staff or spouse...who we cut off in traffic or in-line at the grocery store...who then gives it right back to us! It's a never ending cycle. The baggage just won't go away!
This all reminds me that there is an appointment I need to make.